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Tennis: Hopman Cup ends after three decades as Perth made ATP Cup host

(Reuters) – Perth has been chosen as the third city to host the inaugural ATP Cup in January 2020, signaling an end to the Hopman Cup international mixed team event that has been hosted by the Western Australian city for the past 31 years.

Sydney and Brisbane were announced as the other ATP Cup host cities in January, with Sydney hosting the knockout rounds and final.

“The ATP Cup will launch the global tennis season for the men,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said at the Perth Arena on Thursday.

“Four of the top 12 male players, and eight of the top 24, will play in Perth, with 24 teams competing across three cities — Perth, Brisbane and Sydney.”

The ATP Cup will have 750 ranking points and $22 million in prize money up for grabs.

The event leaves no room in the revamped tennis calendar for the Hopman Cup, which is popular with players and has traditionally served as a warm-up for the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam.

Paul McNamee, founder of the Hopman Cup and a four-time doubles Grand Slam champion, said he did not know if the tournament would move to another city.

“My immediate feeling is sadness that it’s not going to be there anymore and concern about where the Hopman Cup may be in the future,” he told ABC News.

Roger Federer faced Serena Williams as Switzerland beat the United States at this year’s Hopman Cup and McNamee said watching two of the sport’s biggest names battle it out was a fitting farewell.

“If there was a sign off… to say well, bye bye Hopman Cup, it was the fact that probably the two greatest players in the history of the sport, Roger Federer and Serena Williams, went on court at the Perth Arena and went head-to-head.”